With the support of Gucci, ‘I Was a Sari’, an Indian social enterprise that creates contemporary ready-to-wear and accessories by upcycling pre-owned saris - the traditional garments of Indian women - has set up a new online professional education programme on embroidery.

The programme trains Indian women from disadvantaged backgrounds, giving them the opportunity to turn into expert embroidery artisans and achieve financial independence, and enabling them for the first time to access a sector traditionally reserved to men.

The programme, called ‘Now I Can’ and developed through Gucci’s Chime for Change initiative, “originates from the desire to train an increasingly large number of Indian women from disadvantaged social conditions,” said Stefano Funari, founder and managing director of ‘I Was a Sari’. In 2020, the social enterprise worked with over 170 women artisans. Other social enterprises, NGOs and associations have the chance to make the programme available for free to their members.

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“Inclusion for Gucci means creating a sense of belonging, through concrete actions,” said Antonella Centra, EVP general counsel, corporate affairs & sustainability at Gucci. “With ‘Now I Can’, craftsmanship becomes a tool for social emancipation, and gives disadvantaged women the opportunity to find their place in the labour market and to grow professionally,” she added.

The Gucci group underlined how the initiative is part of its actions to implement a global sustainability strategy that promotes positive change, and to make a worldwide audience aware of the importance of equal rights for girls and women, giving the latter concrete help and the chance to enjoy greater participation and better representation within society.